When the dust settles on U.S. President Donald Trump’s effort to take over Venezuela and its massive heavy oil reserves, the outcome is unlikely to be good for Alberta. This is true in both the short and longer terms. Indeed, if things go well for the United Conservative Party’s favourite national government – that is, […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Danielle Smith says no spring election in 2026 – but the War on Nenshi starts now!
So, about that early election all of political Alberta has been certain for weeks will be called this spring – forget about it, it’s not going to happen, Premier Danielle Smith insisted yesterday. “We’ve got a mandate that we want to execute over the next two years, and we intend to continue doing so,” Ms. […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz to quit cabinet Friday, resign as Calgary-Shaw MLA in May
It wasn’t even the New Year yet when the first major Alberta political story of 2026 broke – the New Year’s Eve announcement by Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz that she’s leaving her cabinet post immediately and will quit as MLA for Calgary-Shaw in May. Is Ms. Schulz getting out of Dodge before Premier Danielle Smith […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
What was the NDP Opposition doing in 2025? Where are the ‘good Conservatives’ of the UCP?
Happy New Year! Well, here we are, living through the final day of 2025, and most readers of this blog would agree that this has not been the most fabulous year in living memory. That said, thanks to the Lords of Misrule* of the United Conservative Party and American social media, it’s been a pretty […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
With a new year almost upon us, everyone paying attention now understands Danielle Smith is a separatist
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is a separatist. Well, not quite universally acknowledged, as we shall see. And only recently. But still, this recognition was not always so widespread. The compulsion in a long-stable democracy to explain away actions of a popularly elected leader who goes over the edge […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
I bring you tidings of great joy! Our neighbour to the south is about to reach Peak Trump
Merry Christmas, Dear Readers! I bring you tidings of great joy! Our neighbour to the south is about to reach Peak Trump, if it hasn’t occurred already. It’s all downhill for The Donald from there. From reports that redacted portions of the Epstein files are legible if you highlight, copy and paste, to the news […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Alberta Party, which owned the best name in Alberta politics, awkwardly rebrands as the Progressive Tory Party of Alberta
By every measure, the Alberta Party had a better name than every other political party in Alberta. Surely somewhere – Saskatchewan, maybe, where the Saskatchewan Party still rules – there’s a political science PhD thesis that proves this to be the case. But even without a learned dissertation to quote, it’s obvious! We all know […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Danielle Smith’s Alberta Next Panel report has dropped and, boy, is it ever a pitiful little squib!
We paid $2 million for this? The report of Danielle Smith’s Alberta Next Panel dropped Friday afternoon and, boy, is it ever a pitiful little squib! There’s no report, really, just a few recommendations. Weighing in at a skimpy 17 pages, the whole thing would be worth about a B- if you’d handed it in, […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Having opened door to Alberta separation vote, UCP changes rules to block competing referenda
Having made sure its secessionist wing’s Alberta separation referendum will have an easy time getting on a ballot, Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party cabinet has moved to ensure no other competing referendum can make the cut. The mid-game rule change passed by Order in Council at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting immediately raises the price of […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Devin Dreeshen pushes ahead with pet plan to make Alberta highways more dangerous
In an “update on highway speed survey results” published on the Government’s official website Tuesday, Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen claims answers to a questionnaire that was online from Nov. 7 to Dec. 12 show “public support for raising speed limits on divided highways.” Needless to say, that is not quite the truth, the whole truth […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Guest Post by Lorne Fitch: The latest Grassy Mountain mine proposal is the same old promotional hype
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party Government persists with its wildly unpopular campaign to allow destructive open-pit coal mining in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Given the fury this arouses among some of the most loyal supporters of the UCP, the ranching community of southern Alberta, this is plain weird. Last week, […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
With UCP separatists in the driver’s seat, Alberta’s likely to face the biggest disinformation campaign since Brexit
Jeffrey Rath, the caricature of an Alberta separatist who happens to be Alberta’s best-known separatist at the moment, isn’t right about much, but he was right when he got up at the recent United Conservative Party AGM and told the premier that her party was a separatist party now. “Their party wants a free and […]